Slick roads and drifting snow weren’t enough to keep thousands of elaborately costumed fans of Japanese anime and other pop culture from flocking to the 14th annual Ohayocon yesterday.

“It’s a fun way to dress up and see other people like you,” said Crystal Hopkins of Toledo, who dressed as a version of Alice in Wonderland and was joined by friends dressed as the Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter.

“There’s lots and lots of people-watching,” Hopkins said. “You can see anime, people from games — there’s an entire group done as Disney characters.”

A sea of brightly colored hair, giant swords and detailed outfits swarmed the Greater Columbus Convention Center. An estimated 14,000 people are expected to attend the three-day conference that is largely a celebration of Japanese-style animation.

The animation style includes series such as Robotech, Sailor Moon and Pokemon.

“It ranges from stuff for kids to stuff for adults,” said Matt Sucre, panel liaison for Ohayocon (pronounced Ohio-con; it’s a play on the Japanese word Ohayo, meaning “good morning.”)

“The Japanese tend to put more themes into it, so it’s more universal. A lot of the series will arc over a longer span, where American shows are usually an episode or two and are self-contained.”

Based on the effort put into many costumes, fans clearly feel an attachment. In addition to a variety of anime, people dressed as characters from video games, comic books and movies such as the Harry Potter series.

Alden Orris of Port Clinton, dressed as Commissioner Gordon from the Batman series, said that unlike most American cartoons, “anime and the stories they have make it a lot easier to form a connection to the diverse characters. They may have a personality that fits you.”

Orris said he got into the series Naruto because, as someone who was picked on a lot as a kid, he could relate to the main character. “He also had a confidence I didn’t have at the time.”

Attendees could attend a variety of panel discussions related to anime and video games — a focus this year is on “magical girls.” They also could play a variety of Japanese-developed video games and table-top games, check out new videos or see work from local artists.

“It’s a really cool experience,” Bethany Bennett of Hebron said after she snapped a picture of someone dressed as Totoro, a forest spirit who can be seen only by children.

Dressed as a neko, which is Japanese for cat, Bennett said she comes for the panels and people-watching.